The Lonely King
by HeavyDirtyHeart
Summary: By some miracle, Kili was still alive after the Battle of Five armies. However, the scars from the battle are still there. But maybe, with the help of the remaining company, a drawf servant girl, and a certain hobbit, he might be able to heal.
1. Chapter 1

"Why…why did I have to be the only one left...?" Kili asked himself while pacing around his bedroom in Sindarin Erebor. "I can't do this!" He punched a stone wall with all of his might, tears of anger and sadness running down his cheeks. He looked quietly at his now bleeding knuckles and shook his head, sighing ever so softly before returning to his bed. He sat down and looked around, before standing back up again and going to get something to wrap his hand with. Just as he went to do so, he was run into by a dwarf servant girl.

"Sorry." She mumbled quietly before walking straight past him.

"Wait!" Kili yelled and she stopped. "I need some cloth. My hand's bleeding."

The girl rolled her eyes and then turned around, a hand on her hips. Her eyes were a pale, mysterious shade of blue, and her frame was thin. She had long, black hair which was pulled up into a long ponytail, instead of being braided. Unlike most others, she had no beard, but that made her all the more mysterious. "Wait there. I'll get you some." With that she walked off again down a long passage way.

Kili blinked, first once, then twice. _What was it with that girl?_ He questioned himself. He'd seen her around a couple times, but never spoke to her. He was too busy. And while he never looked down at his servants, there was just something about her that he didn't like. Or did he like something about her? He couldn't tell all too well.

Kili walked back into his room, leaving the door open. He laid on his bed, closing his eyes and wondering what he should do. The images of gore and blood from the Battle of Five Armies still laid fresh in his mind. It was a miracle he was still alive. It was terrible he was still alive. He'd constantly have nightmares about it, about everything. The simplest of objects could remind him of the war.

"I should visit Bilbo." He murmured quietly to himself. "Yeah…Bilbo. He may be able to help. And give me good tea…" He started to drift off at the thought of the cozy little hobbit hole, at Bilbo's smiling face and the good food.

"I'm back." Called a voice. Kili shot up and saw the dwarf girl standing in the door way, tossing a role of cloth in her hand before catching it again. She wore a bored, yet amusing smile on her face. "What? Don't like what you see oh mighty dwarf?" She chuckled before walking over to him. "Now be a good king and hold out your hand."

"WH-who do you think you are, talking to me like that?!" Sputtered Kili, his cheeks red.

"I'm simply a not-so-humble servant girl. Call me Peirce." She smiled softly, her eyes brimming with mischief. She took Kili's hand in her own and started to wrap his knuckles.

As Kili watched her, he saw that her hands had many scrapes and cuts all over them. He tilted his head and studied the rest of her. Her arms had faint traces of scars on them as well. Instead of the regular, thick drawven garb, she wore instead a short sleeved tunic and leggings, which were different shades of blue.

"Who are you…?" Kili mumbled to himself.

Peirce looked up from her work. "I told you already. You deaf?" She smiled and then went back to wrapping his hand again, humming to herself. Kili found it interesting to watch the dwarf girl, chuckling to himself every time she made a funny face when delicately wrapping his knuckles with the pale colored cloth.

When she got up to leave, Kili grabbed her wrist. "Stay. I want you to sing."

"And why do you want me to sing?" Piece put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow, but there was a slight smile forming on the edges of her lips. Kili laughed.

"Because you hum well, and so you can probably sing well. And no one around here hums as well as you do, oh not-so-humble servant girl." Kili smirked and leaned back on his pillows.

"Well if you insist." Pierce smiled.

 _"_ _Far over the misty mountains cold_

 _To dungeons deep and caverns old_

 _We must away ere break of day_

 _To seek the pale enchanted gold._

 _The dwarves of yore made might spells,_

 _While hammers fell like ringing bells_

 _In places deep, where dark things sleep,_

 _In hollow halls beneath the fells."_

"Get out." Kili said quietly, his eyes filled with tears.

Pierce looked taken aback, but said nothing. She stood where she was, studying the young dwarf's face with concern. "No." She said after a minute.

"I said, GET OUT!" Kili lunged at her, pushing her to the ground and pinning her there. She was surprisingly unfazed.

"I said, no." She said ever so quietly. Kili slapped her. When she didn't move, he slapped her again. And again. And then once more after that. He slapped her until her cheeks were red and tears of pain ran down her cheeks.

"No." Pierce said yet again. Kili blinked, and tears rushed down his cheeks, falling onto the servants face. She smiled softly and reached a hand up, wiping his tears away softly. "I won't go until you stop crying, oh king." Her voice was gentle and kind, soothing in a sense.

Kili got off her and whimpered. "I know the war was hard for you. I also know you want to go see your good friend Bilbo again. So, I'll go with you and we'll see him together. Along with the rest of your dwarf friends. They deserve to see him, and you as well." Piece said quietly, sitting up and smiling.

"H-how'd you know that's what I wanted to do?" Kili raised an eyebrow after a minute and managed a smug little smirk.

Pierce barked out a laugh. "Because…because I'm me. That's why. I pay attention."

And with that, Peirce got up, brushed off her shirt, bowed, and walked out of the room.

Kili sat on the ground, dumbstruck. _How did she know?_ He thought to himself. _She's so much like I used to be. I wish I was still like she is now. I wonder if it's too late for me?_


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N - HAI! I'm HeavyDirtyHeart, aka Heart. If you have any ideas for where this story could go, PM them to me. I'd be happy to hear anything about what you think of the story. Speaking of the story, let's get on with it, shall we?)**

"Bofur, I just don't understand her at all…" Kili mumbled to his friend as they started on the long road to Bilbo's. They decided to trek, instead of using horses. The last time they used horses to get somewhere, they had to get new ones because theirs got eaten by goblins or ran away.

"I don't know what you don't understand, lad." Bofur smiled genuinely, looking back at the young dwarf girl and waving. She waved back and smiled.

"It's everything that I don't understand!" Kili threw his hands up in the air. "She's…different to say the least. Every last person I know has been affected by the war but her, it's like she can pretend it never existed. She laughs and smiles and sings the songs of old, while others cringe to hear them because they remind them of…you know."

Bofur's eyes softened to a look of sadness and gentleness. "I know how you feel, lad. The war was hard on all of us. But maybe she has a different way of coping then you do. Just think about it."

It was the day after Pierce said she'd set up the journey to Bilbo's, and the rest of the company agreed heartily that they should head out. They all missed their old friend, and seeing him could do them all good.

Early in the morning, Pierce had woken Kili up, bag in hand and had said, "Get your lazy, royal butt up right now. We're going to Bilbo's." And she dragged him out of bed, got him dressed properly, and then dragged him off to meet his friends. That was the short way of putting it to say the least.

Kili hadn't really spoken to anyone for the first 7 hours of the trip. Aside from a bit of small talk here and there, he had remained surprisingly quiet. The trip had been going smoothly, and there wasn't that much to talk about in the first place. All they had done is walked, and walked, and walked some more. Finally, he started to talk to Bofur, who he had become closer to after the battle.

"I just…she's like I used to be. I don't know what it is, but I just don't want to see her joy taken away like mine was." Kili explained as he looked up at the sky. It looked fine.

Suddenly, a finger tapped Kili's shoulder. "Hey Kili," Pierce said quietly, "It's going to rain."

"But it's bright out. Barely any clouds in the sky."

"It smells like it's going to rain. In about fifteen minutes I think. There's a nice breeze, and the clouds are moving fast. I think we should find a place to take shelter."

Bofur just smiled a little wider. "I believe the lass could be right. We should find someplace anyways, and get some food together for dinner." Kili nodded, feeling weird leading the company again.

 _Thorin…where are you when I need you? Why did he have to kill you?_ Kili's breathing started to get heavier and would occasionally stagger. _I need you here with me._

"Kili?" Pierce waved a hand in front of the king's face. "C'mon." She grabbed his hand and dragged him to a small patch of woods and a small cave where everyone else agreed to camp for the rest of the day, or at least until the rain stopped.

"W-why are you touching me?" Kili tried to pull away. He felt weak, and her warm touch made him feel worse. She was just as hopeful, as innocent yet totally mischievous as he used to be. And it hurt to see how quickly that could be taken away from her.

"Because you weren't coming along with the rest of us. So I'm making you. Now WALK!" She commanded, trudging through the grass like everyone else, but with a little more purpose. Her eyes were as determined as any dwarfs could be, but with more fire.

"I'll never understand you for the life of me…" Kili mumbled to himself, but with, for once, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"What did you say?" Pierce asked as they reached the cave, letting go of his hand.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He smirked a little bit, and Pierce smirked right back.

"I'll take your word for it. Just this once." She walked into the cave without another word, and started to help Bofur with the food. Kili observed what everyone was doing, and then pitched in, setting down sleeping mats for everyone.

Soon, just as Pierce said, it started to rain, though rain was more of an understatement. It was more as if the sky opened up flood gates and allowed all of its water to pour out. The young dwarf girl looked out of the cave before going back to stirring stew.

Kili sat down, his back against a wall and watched, slightly in envy, as she worked with Bofur. He could hear her charming laugh, and see her eyes light up, like blue fire, as Bofur put his funny looking hat on her head. She smiled, as it fell past her eyes, and looked up at Bofur. The older dwarf laughed, filling the whole room with warmth. Soon, others were laughing too, and Kili let out a chuckle as well.

"She is something, isn't she lad." Balin smiled, looking at the dwarf king. He just nodded, closing his eyes, and starting to think how different things would be if the war hadn't taken place. Balin chuckled to himself and walked off to get some stew for himself.

An hour passed, and Kili's dreams were anything but peaceful. He tossed at turned, holding back screams as the tragic memories of the war. He saw his brother, beheaded, before his very eyes. Tears ran down the sleeping king's face as he saw the face of the pale orc, smiling down at him.

Soon, his entire body was shaking, and the rest of the dwarves were nervous. They weren't sure what to do. Pierce slowly approached Kili's sleeping form and took his hand in hers. "Kili." She said softly. "It's just a dream. Wake up."

Within his twisted nightmare, Kili heard Pierces voice. He spun around wildly, trying to find out where the voice was coming from. "Pierce! WHERE ARE YOU?!" He screamed into the sky. He ran, jumping over dead bodies, dwarf, elf, man, and orc alike.

"This is only a dream. Please wake up Kili. Please…" Pierce pleaded, taking his other hand in hers as well. "Please."

Soon, Kili's shaking stopped, though the tears still ran down his cheeks. "S-save me…" Murmured the sleeping dwarf. "Please…" Kili looked through the battle field, still searching for Pierce. "Where are you?"

"I'm right here, Kili. We all are. All you have to do is wake up."

After a few more minutes, Kili's eyes slowly opened and he stared at Pierce. She still wore Bofur's hat, yet she looked anything but cheerful. Her eyes were filled with worry, and a tear ran down her cheek. "Are you alright?" She asked, her voice soft, and nearly quavering.

"I-I…I'm fine." Kili managed to say. He felt the tears on his cheeks and wiped them away quickly. The others had gone back to their business, deciding it was better than staring at the king when he woke up. The last thing they needed him to think was that something was wrong with him. "What happened…? Why…why are you crying?" Kili asked softly, reaching a hand up and touching Pierce's cheek.

"Nothing, my king. You simply had a nightmare. As for the tear, I yawned." Pierce faked a smile, slowly letting go of Kili's hand. "I'm going to go on a walk." Kili shook his head, grabbing her hand again.

"No. Stay." His eyes started to close. "I want you to stay here." Pierce nodded obediently, and sat next to Kili.

"Fine. I'll stay." He smiled and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Good. I need a shoulder to rest on. Yours is the right size."

"Then stop talking and sleep already."

"Goodnight, not-so-humble Pierce." He murmured in jest as he drifted off again.

"Goodnight, Kili, nephew of Thorin, son of Thror, son of Thrain, and king under the mountain."


	3. Chapter 3

_Blue eyes flashed open, and a young, dwarf child's head looked around, trying to get her surroundings. "There she is!" She heard gruff, orc voices yell. "Get her!" The child's eyes widened, the blue, gateways to her soul filled with fear. Without another word, she started to run through the woods, trying to find a place to hide, somewhere._

 _The dwarf tripped over rocks and roots occasionally, but got right back up again. It would be better to deal with the pain of scratches and soon to be bruises then deal with a pack of orcs on her trail._

 _She looked around, whimpering, as she could find no place to hide. A loud growl sounded in the distance. Was it a warg? No, it was too deep. Then it was a bear. This only added to the dwarfling's fear. The child continued her running, but loud, heavy footsteps followed her at a faster pace. The bear. It would soon be upon her._

 _The girl decided that if she was to die, she would die fighting._ A more honorable death, _she though,_ even if I am young. _She grabbed a stick off of the ground, a fairly large one mind you, and turned around to face the beast and-_

"Pierce! Wake up lass! You too Kili!" Bofur shook Pierce's sleeping body.

"Alright, alright Bofur! Calm your horses. I'm up." Pierce smiled and went to stand, only to feel something on her shoulder. She looked down at the sleeping king, his expression calm, his body relaxed. Pierce chuckled, wishing she had the heart to wake him up. She, for some unknown reason, did not want to disturb the dwarf, pulling him back into harsh reality.

Bofur noticed her hesitation and smiled a large smile which stretched from ear to ear. "You have eyes for him, dontcha m'lass?"

"Oh, hush. He simply looks peaceful. He doesn't deserve to have to be waken up so soon."

"Well, we better be heading out soon. It'll be fairly close to what Bilbo calls second breakfast. I got a letter from him a few days ago. He says there are a couple of hobbits he thinks you'll like to meet."

"Well, in that case…" Pierce took off Bofur's hat and handed it to him before standing up quickly, causing the king to jolt awake.

"What's going on?!" He exclaimed, quite startled by his rude awakening. He rubbed his eyes and saw Pierce's figure looming over him, a hand extended.

"Get your royal butt up, oh king. Before I make it myself." Kili rolled his eyes and took the girl's hand, smiling.

"My royal, attractive might I add, butt is up." Kili yawned, stretching slightly. "Let's get a move on, shall we? If we have any bread, I'll eat while I walk." Dwalin, a muscled, gruff dwarf, tossed the king some bread, as well as a sack to carry. Pierce picked up a fairly large backpack and swung it on, adjusting it some.

"You sure you should carry something so heavy?" Kili asked her. "We could switch if you would like."

"I can carry my own weight, thank you very much. After all, I am just a servant girl." Without another word, the dwarf girl went outside the cave to join some of the other dwarves. Kili blinked, slightly offended at her behavior, slightly intrueged.

"Let her be, lad." Bofur smiled. "Let her be." Kili shrugged and swung the sack over his shoulder, trudging through the grass back to the road.

It was another fairy quiet day, barely any small talk. That is, until someone heard Pierce singing to herself.

 _"_ _There is an inn, a merry old inn  
Beneath an old grey hill,  
And there they brew a beer so brown  
That the Man in the Moon himself came down  
One night to drink his fill."_

"How do you know that song, lass?" Balin asked, eyes wide in shock.

"Indeed! That's a song written by none other than Bilbo himself!" Dori added, his jaw open in disbelief.

"Bilbo taught it to me." Pierce stated simply, continuing to walk while everyone stared. Well, all except Bofur. He walked next to her, chuckling to himself.

"When do you plan to tell them who you are, m'lass?" He asked her, another chuckle emerging from his mouth.

"When I plan to, that's when." The she-dwarf replied, mystery twinkling behind her blue eyes. "They'll know what they need to know, when they need to know it. Never too soon, never too late."

"Gandalf taught you that, didn't he?"

"The one and only my good friend."

"I expected none the less of you, lass."

Pierce barked out a laugh and smiled, a bright, warm, and kind smile. Bofur ruffled her hair gently and continued to walk next to her, without saying a word. He couldn't say he felt like a dad to her, more like an uncle. Somewhat of what Thorin was to Kili and Fili almost. But, it was different. Very different.

Kili watched the two enviously before shaking his head. _What am I thinking! I shouldn't, no, I cannot look at that girl that way. Never again._ Kili told himself mentally, continually drilling it over and over again in his head. Since the war, he swore he would never get attached to anyone again.

He hardened his heart, and would sometimes lash out at servants, bursting into violent outbreaks sometimes over the smallest things. Later, he would apologize, but knew it would happen again. The war had broken him, shattered his mind, and it hurt to put it back together. Kili knew no good would come of denying his problem, but what other choice did he have? He had people to lead, and Thorin showed him that a king shows no weakness. Never.

As Kili looked at the dwarf's around him, he saw the smiling faces, the hidden scars from the war. Nori, one of the youngest in the group, had been scared as well, forced to fight for his life at a young age, at least for a dwarf. He was now taller, more muscular, and surprisingly quiet. However, from time to time, you could find him cooking or knitting, even crocheting a doily or two for Bilbo.

The dwarf king shook his head and sighed down heartedly, wondering when they might find a town to stop at. Though it had only been two days, they had made great progress. There was no resting, unless to sleep or wait out heavy rainfall. Only occasionally would they stop to relieve themselves or to gather some berries or fruit from trees, few that there were.

Pierce looked back at Kili, before shaking her head softly, holding her right hand to her left arm. She involuntarily rubbed it up and down, shuddering slightly. She knew how much he was hurting, and she wished she could help. But he had to be willing.

"Bofur," she asked in a small voice, "do you really think I can help him? Or should…should I head back?"

"You can help him. It will take time Pierce," Bofur answered, rubbing her head soothingly as they walked, "but you can help him." _And if the gods be willing, he may be able to help you._


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N - I hope you all are liking the story so far. The little things at the beginning will reveal some needed facts in piecing together the story, so I suggest you make note of them and remember them. Anyways, ON TO MIDDLE EARTH!)**

* * *

 _"And you are?" A large elf guard asked dwarf child looked up at him from the doorstep of the palace._

 _"_ _I-I'm a bard. I-I…I came to play for a town…b-but…there weren't any." The small dwarf's eyes filled with tears. "I-I got lost in the w-woods. And I had to f-fight of large s-spiders! I'm s-sorry!" Tears plopped to the ground as the dwarf's shoulders shook._

 _Suddenly, the doors pushed open and Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood, walked out. "Where is this intruder you speak of?!" He exclaimed as he stepped out. He looked around wildly until he heard soft sobs. The king looked down at the dwarf child, and something in his heart melted. He squatted down (something he never did) and cupped the child's chin in his hand._

 _"_ _Hello little dwarf."_

 _"_ _H-hello." The dwarf sniffed a bit, looking at the king through round, blue eyes. Thranduil smiled, petting the dwarf's head gently to sooth the child._

 _"_ _Come little one. Gandalf told me you would be coming here soon. I hope you're as talented as he promised you'd be." He held out his hand._

 _"_ _A-are you the king? Did Gandalf really come here?" The dwarf sniffed, looking up at the elf with beautiful blue eyes. The king nodded as the girl took his hand._

 _"_ _I am and yes he did. He told me all about you. Now come. I have a son who has been dying to meet you ever since Gandalf came to see me."_

Two more days passed, and the dwarves had reached the large forests of Mirkwood. They traveled until they were slightly lost, and were found by an elven patrol. Surprisingly, the elves were more receptive of the dwarf company, and many of them knew Peirce. They laughed with her, teased her, play fought her, and then laughed all over again.

Most of the dwarves, all except Bofur, were shocked at the familiarity between the she-dwarf and the elves. The two races did not hate each other, but under normal circumstances, did not appear to be the best of friends. Quite the opposite in fact; the two races seemed to have a mutual loathing.

However, when Pierce explained the current goal of the dwarfs (which she assured was not to go take over another forgotten hoard of gold), the elves agreed to let them stay, and even allowed the dwarves to eat their elven food and drink their elven wine (which was not necessarily a good idea).

Kili sat in a corner late that night, watching his friends drinking wine and mead with the elves, joking like old friends. He took another large swig from his mug, feeling the rush of the drink flow through his body. His brain buzzed and the room blurred slightly. His cheeks started to flush pink, and he leaned back against the wall. Kili took another long swig, closing his eyes and smiling stupidly. The rush of alcohol through his veins felt quite nice and peaceful to the man who had been through such hardship.

Pierce on the other hand, sat in a corner on the other side of the room. She too had a mug, but it was still quite full (however, it was about her 10th that night,). She, unlike most others, found no pleasantries in drinking over excessive amounts of wine and mead. Though she knew how to handle her liquor, she usually limited herself to three caskets of wine, so as not to overdo it (in her standards, she could hold her liquor well). Getting drunk provided no enjoyment to her. She preferred the quite, instead of loud, noisy rooms. In fact, she felt quite lonely, but was too nervous to actually ask anyone for company.

"Pierce, are you alright?" Asked a familiar voice. Pierce shook her head, scooting farther into the corner to allow her friend more sitting room. "Will you be alright?" The person asked. Pierce shook her head again, rubbing her left arm with her right hand again. Screams filled her ears for a second and she shuddered, gripping her arm tightly.

"Well, then how may I help?" The person tilted its head, concerned for the clearly worried dwarf on the ground.

"I don't believe you can, Legolas."

"Please." The tall, fair elf sat next to his friend. "At least let me try. I know the war was hard on you. It has scared all of us gravely."

"Yes. I know. Yet, there is something wrong with me. My mind keeps wandering to old memories, my eyes see things that are not there, and yet…" Pierce shook her head and took a long swig of her drink. She was accustomed to the taste of elvish food and drink, and so it did not affect her as much as many of the others.

"Then I will sit here by your side, my friend. And I will not leave it until you go to your room to rest." Legolas took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "I will not leave you."

"You are still young, Legolas." Pierce squeezed his hand back gently. "You know not when to stay by a friend's side, or to leave. Yet you still choose the correct times anyways. I call it beginner's luck."

The dwarf felt quite odd, holding hands with Legolas. It was not as if she had feelings for him, and he clearly had no romantic attraction to her. Her hand was scarred, rough, and almost rugged. However, his hand was gentle and soft, delicate yet tough.

Despite the odd sensation, she quite liked spending time with her elven friend. She chuckled to herself as she observed the rest of the company, most of them drunk, some completely hammered. She laughed a little louder, and Legolas smiled widely. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her, starting to fill her in on what was happening in Mirkwood while she had traveled to other places.

Soon, too soon, Legolas had to go on guard duty. Pierce smiled, getting up and hugging her friend before walking to an open window, looking out into the dark night. She, through thick tree leaves, could make out the shape of the moon, its light softly bathing patches of the dark ground. She felt a soft breeze against her face and closed her eyes, tilting her head up ever so slightly. It felt good, and all of Pierce's worries seemed to float away with the breeze as she let herself relax.

However, soon, she felt arms wrap around her waist and a chin rest on her shoulder. A body, one about her size slightly slumped against her own. "I-I didn't like…like it when you were hugging t-the elf." Kili's voice slurred. He hiccupped a little bit and buried his face into her neck. "Y-you're my servant. I don't want you n-near him."

Pierce smiled and softly, gently, got the dwarf king off her and swung his arm around her neck. "You're drunk Kili."

"Am not!" He protested, stomping his foot on the ground. Pierce let out a soft chuckle and slowly started walking forwards, trying to coax to the king to go with her. "I-I'm not going t-to bed." He frowned and stayed put, though he swayed a little.

"I wasn't taking you to bed. I was going to get myself some wine. Would you like some?" Kili nodded dumbly and slowly walked with her as she grabbed a bottle of wine off of a table. He leaned against her, liking the jolt he felt when her skin brushed his.

Pierce led the young king to his designated room, not that she told him that, sitting him on the bed and pouring him a small glass of wine. Kili looked up at Pierce with half closed eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her next to him. She stood up again, slowly moving Kili's body until he was propped up against pillows and resting comfortably. She craftily slid one of the blankets from underneath him, covering him bit by bit as he drank his wine.

"Pierce…why are you so mysterious?" Kili slurred softly, reaching a shaky hand up and caressing Pierce's cheek as she laid down on the other side of him.

"Because I have to be, oh king." Pierce responded softly, brushing his hand off her cheek and looking away.

"Why are you covered in scars?"

"Because I have fought in many wars, oh king."

"And why do you constantly ignore me?"

Pierce's eyes widened. She didn't ignore him, or so she thought. She smiled at the dwarf next to her and shook her head a little. "I do not try to, oh king."

"Call me Kili!" The male dwarf pouted, turning his head away from hers.

"Fine, Kili. I'll call you whatever you want me to." Pierce said in a soothing tone. She grabbed the bottle of wine and took a long swig. Kili brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. There was a slight pause before Pierce spoke again.

"How do I ignore you?"

"You never talk to me!" Kili pouted childishly. Then again, he was drunk. "You always talk to Bofur, or Ori, or Balin and Dwalin, but never me! I feel lonely." He turned away from her, shifting under the covers.

Pierce looked at him, and then away again. She tried to talk to him, she really did. But the scars she carried, the secrets she kept, she felt undeserving to talk to him. In fact, half the time, she thought about just slipping away from the rest and living alone again, just like the older days.

Kili shifted again and looked at the she-dwarf next to him, staring into her deep, blue eyes and wishing he could see them filled with passion like he had before. He didn't understand how someone so happy and alive could look so…dead. Her eyes were dull and her lips set into a thin line, neither smiling nor frowning.

The dwarf observed her again, seeing hair had fallen over her eyes again, and pushed it away so he could see her eyes better. He liked them, how they appeared to be pale blue gems.

"Why are you so beautiful?" He asked softly, playing with the strand of hair he had brushed away.

"I don't know, Kili. I don't believe I am."

"Well, you are."

"Alright."


	5. Chapter 5

Kili woke up, yawning and stretching. For the amount of wine he drank the night before, he had only a minor hangover. The dwarf king sleepily rubbed his eyes just as he heard a soft sound and felt someone shift on his chest. He looked down, confused, but then smiled.

Pierce was fast asleep on the king's chest, curled up. Her raven black hair fell sloppily over her shoulders, her pink lips parted slightly, and her body more relaxed than Kili had ever seen it. He smiled softly, running his fingers through her hair softly, though the next pit surprised him.

The she-dwarf nuzzled into his hand in her sleep. Kili's eyes widened, before they softened again and he rubbed her head, letting her nuzzle back in contentment. A small smile formed on Pierce's sleeping face as the nuzzling slowly stopped and she snuggled back into his chest. Kili chuckled and leaned back again before he jolted up.

 _What am I doing?! I told myself, promised myself I wouldn't have feelings for her. She's a servant, I'm a king. She's different._ Kili thought to himself, breathing heavily. _I can't let her get to me._

"Mm…Kili?" A sleepy voice asked. Pierce's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at the dwarf king. He had become pale, breathing heavily. His eyes were glazed over, though they were filled with a mix between worry and complete rage. "Are you okay?" She pressed a hand to his forehead, checking to see if he was sick.

 _"_ _FILI!" Kili screamed at the top of his lungs, seeing his brother held by his hair, the pale orc smiling sickly down at him, looking him straight in the eyes. "FILI NO!"  
The pale orc tilted his head slightly just before beheading his comrade, his friend, his brother. The one he loved. The one who stuck by him every step of the long journey. Fili was dead. Kili went into a rage, running towards the tower, killing any and every orc he saw._

"Kili, are you alright?" Pierce asked softly, moving her hand town to his cheek.

Kili slapped her hand away abruptly, his eyes still wide, nostrils flaring a little. "Don't touch me." He muttered, getting up abruptly. The she-dwarf looked taken aback and almost hurt. However, she shook her head, standing up as well and walking out of his room without another word.

The king looked longingly after his servant, yet didn't say anything else for fear of hurting her worse.

Later, once escorted to the edge of the Mirkwood forest by the elves, and after several goodbyes and everyone begging Pierce to come back and visit again, the company of dwarves were on their way to Bilbo's. Something was wrong. There was none of the usual cheer or merriment made as there was before.

Pierce was quiet. Her eyes were dull. Her steps were no longer filled with any passion or purpose. All she did was trudge along with everyone else on the long journey. Everyone, even Kili, looked back to check on her. No song came from her lips, no smile adorned her face.

Ori fell back, walking with the she-dwarf quietly. He took her hand in his own quietly, and continued to walk. Pierce looked down at his hand, before managing a tiny, sad, hurt smile. He squeezed her hand gently. "I-I don't know why you're upset, but…You've helped me. It's my turn to help you."

It was true. After the great battle, Ori had become reclusive, barely talking to anyone. He'd lock himself in his room and refuse to come out. Kili had understand how he felt, but had no idea how to make it any better.

Then Pierce came along. Anytime that Ori was out of his room, she'd talk to him. She brought him meals, and occasionally some knitting and crocheting material. Ori eventually opened up to her, and the two of them hit it off. They became close friends, and you could often find them together, Ori trying to teach her how to knit.

Now that Pierce was upset, Ori felt as if it was his job to cheer her up and make her feel better, after all the times she did it for him. "Alright, Ori…Thank you." Pierce looked up at him, her eyes a little brighter, her steps with the slightest of purpose, and just the smallest of smiles on her face.

Kili let a small sigh of relief escape his lips before shaking his head and turning back around. He had already physically hurt Pierce, he couldn't afford to do anymore damage to her. He tried to ignore the truth; that he connected with her. He didn't want to. He didn't want her to see his scars, how flawed he really was.

Pierce, on the other hand, was different. She wished she could open up to someone, show them how hurt she really was, but she couldn't. She was too afraid of what they would think. She thought maybe, if they got to Bilbo's, he could help her with her problem. After all, most of the secrets of her past laid with Bilbo in the first place.


End file.
